Tipping is not customary in Japan. In general, hotel and restaurant staff will not accept tips. If you believe your tour leader has gone our of their way to make your trip extra special, and want to tip them, please do, they will not offended. However they will not expect it, and there is no 'normal' amount to give.

The tour leader will come to the airport on the first day of the tour (the arrival day), depending on the arrival times of the members of the group. If the tour leader cannot meet you (for example you arrive at a different time from the majority of guests), then we will send you a voucher for the limousine bus from the airport terminal, which goes directly to the hotel.

In this case, you will meet in the lobby of the hotel prior to going out for the welcome dinner at a nearby hotel.

We will send you a detailed dossier with a complete list of things to bring with you.

Many of our trips use the efficient Japanese rail system to travel around the country. We will send the luggage on where possible ahead of the group however you will also travel with your luggage on some sections. As you will be responsible for carrying your luggage on to and off of trains, we recommend travelling light. It will make your trip much more relaxed if you don't have a large suitcase, but rather a small to medium-sized case with wheels.

Japanese train stations do not always have elevators, and so you may need to carry your case up and down stairs.

Nationals of most EU countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and some other countries only need their passport a return ticket to enter Japan as a tourist. Please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website for more details, and a list of countries with visa exemption agreements.

Embassy of Japan in the UK
Embassy of Japan in Germany
Embassy of Japan in France
Embassy of Japan in Canada
Embassy of Japan in USA
Embassy of Japan in Australia
Embassy of Japan in New Zealand

We recommned purchasing Japanese Yen cash in your home country or at the airport on arrival. Obtaining cash from Japanese ATMs (cash machines) is often impossible with foreign-issued cards, and exchanging money in Japan can be time-consuming (and is often only possible in major cities).

It is also important to know credit cards are not often accepted especially in rural areas.

Cash is king in Japan, and it is important to have enough cash to see you through your trip. Please do not rely on bringing your credit or debit card with you, as only a very few Japanese ATMs (cash machines) work with them. Normal Japanese bank ATMs do not accept foreign cards.

Once you leave Tokyo or Kyoto (or other large cities) there may be no place to exchange foreign cash or use your card.

We recommend bringing about 5000 Yen per day, per person. You will probably need less in rural areas, but it is best to be prepared.

Average costs:

Lunch 700-1200 Yen

Dinner 2000-5000 Yen

Coffee 350 Yen

It is condition of travelling with us that you have insurance to cover your medical expenses in Japan. We also highly recommend that you purchase insurance to cover the cancellation or curtailment of your trip (you would then be reimbursed for any cancellation charges), loss of personal effects, and liability.

(Guests from the US will often find that their health insurance policy will offer cover overseas for medical expenses).

Vaccinations are not required for travel in Japan.

Only mobile phones woth '3G' capability will work in Japan. The Japanese mobile phone system uses its own unique band, and even phones which claim to be tri-band or quad-band will not work.

Newer phones which have 3G capability will work in most areas in Japan. Please note that Japan also does not use user-removable SIM cards, and SIM cards are not available for purchase in Japan.

If you do not have a 3G-capable phone, then you can rent a phone from one of a number of companies:

http://www.japanphone.com

http://www.myjapanphone.com/

Most western-style hotels in Japan have internet access, usually via a cable in your room, or sometimes wifi or a public pc in the lobby. However, most traditional Japanese ryokan and minshuku do not have internet access for the guests (who generally come to get away from phones and the internet!).

Internet cafes can be found in cities, known as 'manga kissa', where they offer comfy chairs and libraries of comic books. As they can be hard to spot (usually on the upper floors of buildings) it is best to ask your tour leader or ryokan staff.

Please let us know when booking about your dietary requirements. For vegetarians, please let us know what you can/cannot eat. (fish, chicken, eggs, dairy, etc.)

Many Japanese dishes include animal products to some degree, particularly as the near-ubiquitous Japanese soup stock dashi is usually prepared with bonito.

We will inform each accommodation about your requirements, and do our best to accommodate them.

Learning a few words of Japanese will make your trip more rewarding. Japanese contains very few sounds that speakers of English cannot master, and at the beginner level Japanese is surprisingly easy.

Japanese speakers often omit the subject from a sentence, and simple statements and questions often only involve one or two words.